Te Amo
by tiggerbounced
Summary: Set pre-Season 1 on the coast. Beachfront houses. Tina is there for work, to meet starlets to convince them to sign onto the movie she is producing. Bette is there searching for a recluse artist, they meet, sparks fly but what happens?


**Disclaimer: The L Word unfortunately doesn't belong to me..and neither does this song by Rihanna. **

"Come on Porter! You have to come tonight, how often is it that we're at the seaside at the same damn time and there's a rocking party going on? You need to get out there and score some anyway, you haven't been out in so long I swear your vajayjay is probably full of cobwebs!"

"What the hell Alice?! It totally isnt, fine I'll go tonight!"

Bette glided into the house where the party was being held, seeing Alice going crazy in a room to her left, she quickly headed right, not wanting to be sucked into Alice's antics that early. She entered a room that had the lights dimmed and a single lady pacing up and down, muttering to herself.

"Wow," thought Bette "she's gorgeous! And woah, my heart is racing, why?"

"Hey, you look like you need to relax, wanna dance?"

The lady turned to face Bette, with an incredulous look on her face before breaking out a blinding grin "Oh what the hell, I'll just talk to Christine later. Sure!"

_Te amo, te amo __  
__she says to me_

They moved into each other's arms gracefully, beginning to sway to the music that was filtering in from the other areas of the house.

Bette gazed into Tina's eyes, finding that she was getting lost in the pools of hazel.

_I hear the pain in her voice..__  
__then we danced underneath the candelabra_

"I think I could fall in love with you." Bette had seemingly lost the filter between her brain and her mouth, blurting out the first thing that came to mind.

_she takes the lead__  
__that's when I saw it in her eyes, it's over__  
_

Bette blushed strongly when she realized what she had said. Tina studied her even as Bette asserted more control to try and change the subject subtly.

"What did you say?" Tina asked as she stopped their movements.

_Then she said te amo__  
__then she put her hand around me waist_

"I'm not sure why I said it, but I do feel something very strongly for you. Can we just forget it and dance?" Bette said softly as she rested her hand back on Tina's waist, coaxing her to drop the topic.

_I told her no,__  
__She cried te amo_

"Maybe we should stop. Do you do this often? Go to parties and ask strangers to dance with you and tell them that you're in love with them?" Tina was panicking, wondering where this strange proclamation had come from and the potential perils of it.

She started to pull away, her flight or fight response telling her to flee the room to at least somewhere with more people; there was safety in numbers right?

_I told her I'm not gonna run away__  
__but let me go_

Bette panicked too, she had no idea why, but she felt it was paramount that she make this woman she had just met stay with her "I'm sorry, I really have no ill intentions I promise! I just wanna dance with somebody, somebody who's not my crazy friend about two rooms away! My name is Bette Porter; I own an art gallery so I promise I'm not some serial killer, will you please stay?"

Tina looked into Bette's eyes and saw the raw honesty in them "Ok, I'll stay but maybe we can just talk? No more dancing for a while. Oh and my name is Tina, Tina Kennard. It's...it's nice to meet you Bette."

_My soul is crying,__  
__without asking why_

Bette agreed and they stepped apart, each afraid to start the conversation, wondering what it might possibly lead to.

Tina was wondering why that declaration of this random stranger had hit her so hard; it was as if she physically felt the pain that had been present in Bette's eyes when Bette pleaded with her not to go.

_I said te amo,__  
__would somebody tell me what she said?_

"Why would she say she loves me?"

_Don't it mean I love you_

"Or could fall in love with me?"

_Think it means I love you_

"She doesn't even know me!"

_Don't it mean I love you_

"What do I do?"

_Te amo, te amo,_

Bette was watching Tina, practically hearing the gears turning in her head, the awkward silence suffocating her. She had no idea what was going through Tina's head but considered the fact that she had not run away a good sign. Still, she was on the verge of a panic attack (for the first time in a situation not involving damaged artworks!) and desperately needed fresh air.

_She's scared to breathe__  
__I hold her hand, I got no choice uh_

Tina could see Bette had trouble breathing, her chest heaving even though there was nothing in the room that was physically depriving them of air. She took Bette's hand, taking the lead this time, knowing that Bette's brain was shutting down, only focusing on breathing.

_Pulled me out on the beach, danced in the water,_

"Come on Bette, breathe for me."

"Need fresh air. Beach?" Bette gasped out.

Tina agreed, pulling Bette towards the beach.

Bette literally felt her body loosen as she moved towards the waves, led forward by Tina.

"She's not avoiding me, she's actually helping me, that's a good thing right?" Bette was almost giddy with the sudden influx of fresh air and the idea that Tina was not just abandoning her there. Giddy to the extent that she suddenly pulled Tina into the water, splashing around and dancing.

Tina stared at her dumbfounded, feeling the whiplash from Bette's sudden change in mood. She quickly snapped out of it when she felt Bette grab her and pull her in.

_I start to leave__  
__She's begging me and asking why it's over__  
_

Tina, having been pulled off balance, fell into Bette's steady, strong embrace. The shock of having been off-kilter and the cold rush of the water dazed her for awhile but she was brought out of it by Bette's lilting voice gently asking whether she was alright. With that, she pulled out of the embrace, glared at Bette and made to move back to the house.

_Then she said te amo__  
__then she put her hand around me waist_

_I told her no,__  
__She cried te amo_

"No! Please stay here. I, I, you know I like you, why would I want to harm you? Please stay!" Bette protested desperately, tugging on Tina's wrist and pulling her back.

_I told her I'm not gonna run away__  
__but let me go_

"Ok fine, I'm not going to leave, but Bette, could you please let go of me?"

_My soul is crying,__  
__without asking why_

When Bette let go of her wrist, Tina felt a pang at the loss of contact but brushed it off, she had no reason to be feeling such things anyway. She was attached and had a boyfriend for goodness sake's.

_I said te amo,__  
__would somebody tell me what she said?__  
__Don't it mean I love you_

Yeah that's right, Eric. How could she have forgotten about Eric?

_Think it means I love you_

Bette seemed harmless, except for the declaration of love, no, not love, just intense like.

_Don't it mean I love you__  
_

Oh but she said she could fall in love with me. Why does that make my heart beat fast, especially since I don't love her? The one I love is Eric!

_Listen we can dance,__  
__but you gotta watch your hands_

"Look Bette, I'm alright with dancing with you but watch where you place your hands. I mean…"

"I will, I will. I won't take advantage of you Tina, I promise. I'm not that kind of person."

_watch me all night, I'm movin' to the night because I understand__  
__that we all need love_

Bette and Tina gently swayed to the music that was filtering out of the beach house down to the water where they were.

"So Bette, erm, from your declaration earlier, am I right in assuming that you're a lesbian?"

"Yes that is true, Tina," Bette's voice wavered "Does that bother you?"

_and I'm not afraid__  
__to feel the love but I don't feel that way_

"No, it doesn't actually. I live in West Hollywood after all and I work in the film industry, I have lots of gay and lesbian friends. I support the move for equal rights as well. Love is love right?"

"Yeah it is and thanks for the support, but just for clarification purposes…you're not lesbian are you Tina?"

"No, no I'm not a lesbian."_Then she said te amo__  
__then she put her hand around me waist_

"Well, then I hope you weren't offended when I told you that I could fall in love with you Tina, because it's kinda true. You're physically beautiful, clearly, and from my short interaction with you, I can see your inner beauty as well." Bette said, gently laying her hand on Tina to ensure that Tina would look up to see the sincerity in her eyes.

_I told her no,__  
__She cried te amo_

Tina shook her head but also shrank back a little upon seeing the intensity in Bette's eyes.

_I told her I'm not gonna run away__  
__but let me go_

Bette looked hurt when she saw Tina shrinking away and Tina hurried to reassure her.

"Bette, thank you for your flattering words. I was not offended at all, but I have to say that I'm trying to adjust to the fact that you really do like me and are currently in my personal space all at the same time. And that before tonight, I had absolutely no idea of your existence at all."

_My soul is crying,__  
__without asking why__  
__I said te amo,__  
__would somebody tell me what she said?_

"Too much too fast huh?" Bette smiled gently while taking a step back to give Tina more space.

"A little" Tina laughed while thinking to herself "Why did I feel a twinge in my heart when she moved away?"

_Don't it mean I love you__  
__Think it means I love you_

"Tina," the sound of her name broke her out of her thoughts and she looked back up at Bette "Tina you don't have to worry about me making any advances on you, I know that you're not interested. Can we be friends instead?"

_Don't it mean I love you__  
__Think it means I love you,__  
__Te amo_

"I would love to be your friend Bette, this is a highly unusual starting point for friends but I actually think it might work in our favour."

_Te amo__  
__Don't it mean I love you__  
_

"Well, I did I say think I could fall in love with you, that means I'm not at that point yet, I'm sure I could convert the feelings to friendly love. _Te amo_ doesn't just mean love in the romantic sense you know?"

"Someone is fluent in Spanish huh. What other facets are there to you that I don't know about yet Ms Art Gallery Owner?"

"Well, wanna head back to the house and grab a glass of wine before I spill all my deep dark secrets to you?"

"Alright, my friend, let's go!"

**A/N: I'm contemplating continuing this one..any ideas?**


End file.
